The Federal Police of Brazil have initiated an inquiry into a potentially rigged football match in Serie D, spotlighting a game where Patrocinense, under the management of Coach Estevam Soares, was defeated 3-0 by Inter de Limeira on June 1 at Major Levy Sobrinho Stadium.
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Soares, with prior coaching experience at top Brazilian teams like Palmeiras and Botafogo, became a focal point of the investigation after peculiar betting activity was reported by Sportradar.
The Switzerland-based analytics firm identified that an overwhelming majority of bets on the “first half total goals” were placed on a specific outcome—a loss by two goals for one team—suggesting possible foreknowledge of the game’s result.
The scrutiny followed a report by the Brazilian Football Confederation to the Federal Police after Sportradar’s alert. Subsequently, search and seizure operations were carried out not just against Soares but also involving players and businessmen in six cities across Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro.
In April, just before the controversial match, Soares had signed on with Patrocinense as part of a new management agreement, which was abruptly ended a day after the loss, along with his coaching tenure.
Patrocinense has since stated its full cooperation with the ongoing investigations, confirming that none of its current board or squad members are implicated.
